Why give up when we can grow up ? Diksha Mataji (Gita Daily)

“I have failed yet again. Maybe I should just give up.” Life’s inevitable reversals sometimes fill us with such defeatist thoughts.

At such times, Gita wisdom can free us by pointing out that we are labouring under unnecessarily narrow definitions of success and failure. When things work according to our plans, we consider that to be success; when things don’t work according to our plans, we consider that to be failure. When our plans fail repeatedly, we often get frustrated and dejected, and start thinking of giving up.

Gita wisdom broadens our definitions of success and failure by underscoring that we are spiritual beings and that our ultimate success is to attain eternal life by growing up spiritually. Spiritual growth essentially means growth in our faith that Krishna is our greatest well-wisher and that he is benevolently overseeing the world, as the Bhagavad-gita (9.10) asserts.